What will happen to a dog if a tick is not removed? - briefly
An attached tick may transmit pathogens like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, or cause anemia, resulting in fever, lethargy, and potentially life‑threatening complications. Removing the parasite promptly eliminates these health risks.
What will happen to a dog if a tick is not removed? - in detail
A tick that stays attached to a dog can cause immediate tissue damage. The mouthparts embed in the skin, producing a painful, inflamed lesion that often becomes infected with bacteria such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus. Secondary infection may lead to pus formation, swelling, and fever.
Prolonged feeding drains blood. A single adult tick can ingest up to 200 µL, enough to produce measurable anemia in small or debilitated dogs. Repeated infestations accelerate red‑cell loss, causing lethargy, pale mucous membranes, and reduced exercise tolerance.
Pathogen transmission begins after the tick has been attached for 24–48 hours. Common agents include:
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) – joint swelling, lameness, fever, kidney dysfunction.
- Ehrlichia canis (canine ehrlichiosis) – fever, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly, chronic weight loss.
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis) – fever, lethargy, muscular pain, possible neurologic signs.
- Babesia canis (babesiosis) – hemolytic anemia, jaundice, dark urine.
- Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever) – fever, rash, severe vascular damage.
If a tick carries neurotoxic saliva, it may induce tick paralysis. Symptoms appear within 3–7 days of attachment: progressive weakness beginning in the hind limbs, loss of coordination, and eventual respiratory failure. Removal of the tick typically reverses paralysis within hours, but delayed extraction can be fatal.
Untreated infection may progress to chronic disease. Lyme arthritis can become permanent, ehrlichiosis may evolve into a life‑long immune‑mediated disorder, and babesiosis can cause irreversible kidney injury. In severe cases, organ failure and death occur.
Prompt removal, followed by inspection of the bite site and monitoring for fever, lameness, or neurological signs, reduces the risk of all listed complications. Veterinary evaluation is warranted when any abnormality develops after a tick exposure.